ISLAMABAD - Leader of the House in the Senate Shahzad Waseem on Wednesday requested the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to declare former finance minister and PML-N leader Ishaq Dar’s seat in the upper house of the Parliament vacant over his failure to take oath as senator.
In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, he said the Supreme Court on September 21 had withdrawn its stay order, restoring Dar’s Senate membership. Under the Election Ordinance 2021, he said an elected representative is bound to take oath within 60 days of the polls, adding that Dar had failed to take oath within the stipulated time.
Waseem urges ECP to issue schedule for by-election on the seat
“It is clear from the language and plain reading of Section 72-A ibid that after lapse of 40 days from the order of SC dated 21 December 2021, the seat of Mohammad Ishaq Dar, as a returned candidate to the Senate of Pakistan, stands vacant,” he said in the letter also requesting the ECP to declare Dar’s Senate seat vacant and issue schedule for by-election on the seat. Earlier, on Tuesday, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani had shattered PML-N leader and former finance minister Ishaq Dar’s hopes of taking oath as senator via video link. Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani wrote back to Dar, terming oath-taking via a video link is unconstitutional. He said the PML-N senator-elect, who is currently staying in London, conveyed his intentions to take oath virtually.
In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, he said the Supreme Court on September 21 had withdrawn its stay order, restoring Dar’s Senate membership. Under the Election Ordinance 2021, he said an elected representative is bound to take oath within 60 days of the polls, adding that Dar had failed to take oath within the stipulated time.
Waseem urges ECP to issue schedule for by-election on the seat
“It is clear from the language and plain reading of Section 72-A ibid that after lapse of 40 days from the order of SC dated 21 December 2021, the seat of Mohammad Ishaq Dar, as a returned candidate to the Senate of Pakistan, stands vacant,” he said in the letter also requesting the ECP to declare Dar’s Senate seat vacant and issue schedule for by-election on the seat. Earlier, on Tuesday, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani had shattered PML-N leader and former finance minister Ishaq Dar’s hopes of taking oath as senator via video link. Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani wrote back to Dar, terming oath-taking via a video link is unconstitutional. He said the PML-N senator-elect, who is currently staying in London, conveyed his intentions to take oath virtually.
